INTERNATIONAL POLICY ANALYSIS Performance and Challenges of the UN Human Rights Council An NGOs’ View THEODOR RATHGEBER February 2013 „ „ The current dynamic within the UN Human Rights Council(HRC) has driven the Council in certain cases to function more closely in accordance with normative stand­ards, as well as with the reality on the ground. Civil society stakeholders have a num­ber of opportunities to consolidate that dynamic. „ „ The increasing number of cross-regional initiatives even on country situations indi­cates that»joint« does not necessarily mean»lowest common denominator«. How­ever, instead of relying too much on a case- and victim-centred rationality under­lying States’ actions, NGOs should focus on new mechanisms, ultimately in terms of a trigger system. „ „ Successful outcomes in protecting human rights are produced by efforts made within the framework of Special Procedures. In maintaining such a dynamic, civil society stakeholders are a major resource for continuously challenging governments, for in­stance, in terms of follow-up processes at national as well as at Council level. „ „ Addressing thematic challenges from a southern perspective will be a crucial element in the better functioning of the HRC. NGOs and National Human Rights Institutions are among the main actors involved in keeping the spotlight on uncomfortable­is­sues in order to improve international cooperation and ultimately a better function­ing of the HRC. „ „ If it was possible to establish global governance in world trade relations through standards and an effective regulatory and sanctioning system there is no good reason to abstain from such regulation in the field of human rights protection.